Pasta e Fagioli alla Veneta (Veneto-style pasta & bean soup)

Another gem from Judith Barrett’s Fagioli: The Bean Cuisine of Italy, this is pasta e fagioli as you may have never had it before - in soup form! This traditional recipe from the Veneto region has umpteen variations featuring different pasta shapes; here we’re using tagliatelle or fettucine. For a richer flavour, we recommend using a combination of bean broth and chicken or vegetable stock instead of water

  • 400g cooked heirloom pinto beans, drained

  • 2.5 litres bean broth/chicken stock/vegetable stock in some combination (or cold water)

  • 100g prosciutto crudo (Parma ham), chopped

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

  • 1 medium carrot, chopped

  • 1 medium red onion, chopped

  • 1 celery stalk, chopped

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 120g dried tagliatelle or fettucine, broken into thirds

Serves 6

  1. Combine the beans with the prosciutto and all the broth/stock/water in a heavy large
    pot; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer about 30 minutes.

  2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Add the carrot, onion and celery; cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the onion mixture to the bean pot; continue cooking, stirring occasionally.

  3. Transfer the soup to a blender or food processor (or use an immersion blender in the pot); puree until almost smooth. Return the puree to the pot and season to taste with salt and pepper. Return the soup to a boil and add the pasta; cook until the pasta is al dente, about 10 minutes. Drizzle olive oil over each serving.